Orlando City B vs. Columbus Crew 2: Final Score 2-2 as OCB Squanders Late Lead

Orlando City B (7-4-5, 29 points) let a late lead get away, drawing 2-2 with Columbus Crew 2 (9-4-4, 34 points) tonight at Osceola County Stadium in Kissimmee. The visitors took the lead in the 37th minute through Johann Chirinos before Justin Hylton scored a second-half brace. But an 89th-minute equalizer by Kevin Gbamble and two balls off the woodwork in the penalty shootout saw OCB drop two points at home.

OCB Head Coach Eddie Wilding made five changes to the team that lost 2-1 to Philadelphia Union II on June 21. Juan Rojas, Titus Sandy, Jr., Clovis Archange, Gustavo Caraballo, and Harvey Sarajian entered the lineup, replacing Tristan Himes, Landon Okonski, Albright Chikamso, Ignacio Gomez, and Hylton.

Rojas started in goal behind a back line of Bernardo Rhein, Archange, Sandy, and Parker Amoo-Mensah. Issah Haruna, Dylan Judelson, Matthew Belgodere, and Gustavo Caraballo were the midfielders behind Pedro Leao and Sarajian.

Lightning in the area put the game into a weather delay that lasted nearly two hours. While the game was scheduled to start at 7 p.m., the kickoff finally occurred at 8:56 p.m.

The Young Lions began the game on the attack, creating the first chance inside the first minute. After forcing a turnover with the high press, Belgodere found Caraballo on the right side of the field. The midfielder’s first touch was a volley to Sarajian near the penalty spot. Unfortunately, Sarajian couldn’t put the ball on target, sending it wide.

A long ball over the midfield stripe in the fifth minute was touched on for Caraballo on the right. The attacker made a long run to the box, dribbling across the top of the 18 before firing on goal. The shot was directed inside the far post, forcing Stanislav Lapkes to dive to his right to tip it wide. Rhein’s ensuing set piece was cleared away and OCB was unable to get a second chance during the attack.

The visitors had their first chance in the 11th minute when Brent Adu-Gyamfi made a run from the right into the OCB box. His low cross was blocked, creating a chaotic scene in front of the goal as the Young Lions were unable to clear. Eventually, Gbamble was able to get a shot off, but Rojas was there to block it.

Chirinos played a lovely ball through the OCB back line for Oneal Taylor making a run behind Rhein in the 13th minute. The attacker had space for a shot, but he let the ball get too far in front of him. As a result, his shot went well wide, causing no concern for Rojas.

A Judelson turnover in his own third resulted in a chance for Columbus in the 18th minute. Crew 2 worked the ball around to the right, resulting in a dangerous pass across the six-yard box by Chirinos. Zachary Zengue was there to touch it in, but he couldn’t get a solid foot on it, allowing the ball to continue rolling through.

Two minutes later, Sandy knocked the ball off of Gbamble’s foot, but it went right to Taylor just inside the box. This time, the attacker put his shot on target, sending it straight at Rojas.

OCB was unable to get the ball out of its own third, allowing Columbus to retain possession. Prince Forfor sent a cross into the box that Sandy cleared over the end line for a corner kick. Zengue played the ensuing set piece short to Taylor, who gave it right back. Sarajian blocked his shot. Zengue retook possession and fired a second shot that Rojas blocked wide.

An excellent ball forward for Gbamble in the 26th minute sent the attacker deep into the OCB half of the field. He dribbled inside to create some space from Sandy before taking a shot toward the near post. However, Sandy was able to get a piece of the ball, deflecting it wide for a corner kick. The set piece was short to Chirinos, but Amoo-Mensah blocked his first cross, then knocked a second cross out of play. The second set piece found Issac Heffess at the near post, but the center back sent his header attempt wide.

Chirinos intercepted a poor pass by Caraballo for Judelson in the 32nd minute. The midfielder’s second touch was a pass to Zengue, who was even with the back line. The striker tried to beat Rojas to his near post but sent the attempt just wide.

Crew 2’s high press caused problems for OCB in the 37th minute, resulting in the game’s first goal. Rojas played the ball to Haruna at the top of the box and the midfielder immediately lost possession to Chirinos. The Columbus midfielder took a shot toward the near post that took a deflection off Archange and rolled softly into the goal.

Haruna turned the ball over again in his own half in the 42nd minute, creating a chance for Columbus to double its lead. Chirinos quickly played it forward to Taylor, who shot from distance. However, this attempt was well over the target.

A Caraballo turnover in his own third in the second minute of stoppage time created one final first-half chance for Crew 2. Forfor dribbled around Caraballo and Amoo-Mensah before lifting a cross towards goal. Fortunately, it landed on top of the net, ending the first 45 minutes.

The visitors dominated the first half with more shots (12-2), shots on target (4-1), and corner kicks (3-1). OCB had slightly better passing accuracy (88.7%-88.2%) and kept the game close, only trailing by one at the break despite repeatedly turning the ball over in its own half.

Wilding made a halftime change. Leao, who went down after a tough challenge late in the first half, was replaced by Hylton.

It didn’t take long for the substitute to get involved. In the 46th minute, he dribbled through Rui Aoki before sending the ball across the field for Caraballo. The young attacker carried the ball to the top corner of the box before sending the ball into Lapkes’ arms.

Crew 2 created its first second-half chance in the 49th minute when Moses Nyeman found Zengue near the top of the OCB box. After a couple of touches, the striker sent a hard, low shot toward the near post that went just wide.

An OCB turnover in the final third was cleared long and nearly resulted in a second goal for Columbus. Zengue got behind Archange, controlling the ball and entering the OCB box. He sent his attempt past Rojas and nearly snuck it inside the near post, but it hit the outside of the net instead.

Judelson turned the ball over to Gbamble off the restart, creating a chance for the visitors. Gbmable played the ball to Chirinos at the top of the box and the midfielder’s shot went wide.

Nyeman lifted the ball to the left for Forfor in the 53rd minute. The attacker dribbled toward the end line before sending the ball on goal from a tight angle. Rojas was forced to block it over the end line for a Columbus corner kick. The Crew played the ensuing short corner to Chirinos approaching the top of the OCB box. The midfielder sent a hard shot on target that forced Rojas to block it away and end the threat.

OCB quickly went the other way and nearly scored an equalizer. Belgodere made a run down the left to get onto a long, cross-field ball. After controlling the ball and taking a touch inside, he backheeled the ball to Hylton at the top of the box. The halftime substitute unleashed a shot that appeared to be heading over the bar. But he kept it down, sending his attempt off the post.

The Young Lions created another chance in the 55th minute when Hylton passed into the path of Caraballo’s overlapping run on the right. The attacker sent the ball to the top of the six for Sarajian, but his attempt was wide of the near post.

Sarajian went down in the 61st minute and required attention, giving Wilding a chance to make three changes. Caleb Trombino, Gomez, and Logan Tsopanoglou came into the game for Judelson, Caraballo, and Sarajian.

Gomez made his presence felt in the 66th minute when he sent a low, hard shot toward goal. Lapkes blocked the attempt, but knocked the rebound into the worst possible spot right in front of the goal. Hylton was trailing the play and knocked it in to even the game at 1-1.

Wilding made his fifth and final change at the center back position in the 71st minute, replacing Archange with Chikamso.

Trombino passed to Tsopanoglou just outside the box in the 73rd minute, shielding his defender and Belgodere on the left. The midfielder dribbled to the end line before finding Tsopanoglou at the top of the six. The substitute’s shot was on target, forcing Lapkes into a diving one-handed save. However, it fell right to Hylton, who scored his second goal of the night and gave his team a 2-1 lead.

Zengue played the ball wide right for Adu-Gyamfi in the 80th minute, continuing his run and receiving it back. His shot was on target and forced Rojas to block the attempt. As the ball went straight up in the air, Gbamble was in position to head it in. But Rojas pushed the ball wide, allowing Rhein to clear.

Crew 2 created a chance in the 83rd minute when Alex Gimple received a pass and turned his defender before finding Zengue near the top of the OCB box. The forward immediately continued the ball wide right for Adu-Gyamfi who shot, forcing Rojas to dive and tip the ball wide.

Christopher Rogers lifted the ball long for Gimple in the 84th minute, putting the second-half substitute in a position for a shot. The attempt was wide of the near post, though Rojas appeared to have it covered.

Zach Lloyd pushed forward from his center back position in the 87th minute, playing a give-and-go with Gimple before sending a shot wide of the near post.

Amoo-Mensah took the ball to his own corner flag in the 89th minute, looking to waste time rather than clearing it when he had the chance. That turned out to be a mistake when he lost possession. Quick passing by Columbus resulted in an unmarked Gbamble receiving the ball with space about eight yards out. The attacker passed the ball into the empty goal to even the game at 2-2.

Having conceded the late lead, OCB now had to go on the attack. Haruna passed to Belgodere on the left and the midfielder took his defender one-on-one before sending a shot over the target.

The final chance came in the third minute of stoppage time when Rhein threw the ball in right to the Crew’s Jamil Danjaji. The substitute found Zengue making a run into the box, but Rojas did well to come out and block the ball out of play. Crew 2 was unable to create anything from the ensuing corner kick and the game ended 2-2.

At full time, Crew 2 had the advantage in shots (24-11), shots on target (10-6), corner kicks (4-1), and passing accuracy (89%-88.1%). But it was OCB that let the late lead get away, dropping points at home.

Per MLS NEXT Pro rules, games tied after 90 minutes go to a penalty shootout to see which team earns a second point.

The shootout started with some excellent penalties. Hylton, Tsopanoglou, and Trombino converted for OCB while Chirinos, Adu-Gyamfi, and Zengue converted for Columbus.

In the fourth round, Gomez sent Lapkes the wrong way but hit the right post. Immanuel Ewing then stepped up and converted to give his team the 4-3 lead heading into the final round.

Rhein calmly put his penalty away and shushed Lapkes. But the visitors still had an opportunity to end it. Nicolas Rincon didn’t appear to be the most confident penalty taker and Rojas guessed correctly, diving to his right to make the stop and keeping his team in it.

Unfortunately, Chikamso was too confident with OCB’s sixth attempt as the shootout entered sudden death. The center back attempted a panenka but hit the crossbar, the second time OCB hit the woodwork in the shootout. Danjaji then stepped up and placed his attempt in the top corner, giving the visitors two points on the night.

It’s a disappointing result for the Young Lions, who were seconds away from claiming all three points. But they remain in fifth in the Eastern Conference with 29 points, two behind third place and three behind Crown Legacy FC for second.

Having ended this two-game homestand, the Young Lions will now head out on the road as they face Crown Legacy FC next Sunday at 7 p.m.